Unruly Problems

Everyone I know has been itching for spring to arrive. Even people who don't like to garden are celebrating the bursting forth of buds on the trees and tulips popping up their heads in response to warmth and sunshine.
About a month ago, as I walked in and out of my home, I noticed wonderful clusters of green showing up in various places in my garden. Even when a dust of snow would appear, the green would resist the elements and stay alive.
Oh how happy I was to see some green again!

My mind curiously began to wonder:  what perennial is now beginning to grow back?
Often from one year to next, I forget what perennial I planted where - and therefore spring becomes somewhat of a "treasure hunt".

In the past few years, I've discovered that if I allow a certain annual to remain in the garden right through the fall and into the winter, it will leave copious amounts of seeds that regrow in abundance the next year. What a pleasant discovery! Not only that, but this annual resists cold and continues to deliver lovely white scented flowers mixed with large tufts of green  right into the first harsh cold days of winter.

Between a busy fall and the decision to leave a certain annual... I neglected to fully clear out my gardens as we moved into late fall. I actually liked the look of the various tones of all the browning leaves and the artistic expression they created on the canvas of my garden soil.

Yesterday I finally got to cleaning out my garden.

The small cute, delicate bundles of green that were a welcome sight just a month ago, were out in large groups to greet me. Some even had lovely white flowers to entice me. Problem was.. for the most part, they were all WEEDS.

As usual, my perennials were also popping up, in the carefully planned locations that they had been originally placed. These bright green bundles though had decided it was time to dominate, multiply and take up the real estate of my precious black soil.


Weed - noun

• a valueless plant growing wild, especially one that grows on cultivated ground to the exclusion or injury of the desired crop
• any undesirable or troublesome plant, especially one that grows profusely where it is not wanted: The vacant lot was covered with weeds.

One of the ways God speaks to me is through metaphors. Since becoming a professional coach, the value and message of metaphors has only intensified for me and it has become an incredible tool in my practice. 

Metaphor - noun

•  a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally      applicable in order to suggest a resemblance, as in “A mighty fortress is our God.” 
• something used, or regarded as being used, to represent something else; emblem; symbol.

Did you know that a metaphor has the ability to actually create a shift in your thinking and perspective? 

It can actually alter certain neural pathways in your brain.

Metaphors give us a picture of what is, or what could be. Often knowing reality or truth in our head isn't enough for us. We often need to see it in action in order to get a picture of the real impact. 

The right metaphor at the right time can kick start us from knowledge - into experience, action and impact.

Jesus Christ used the power of metaphors in the parables he told. He told allegorical stories to paint a picture in our minds to illustrate and teach a truth.

My garden clean out day, became yet another opportunity for tremendous illustration that drove home a truth and caused me to shift my perspective and make new choices for the future.

And here it is in a nutshell:
 Leaving what seemed like a "beautiful thing" a "last glimmer of life and beauty" in my garden became my excuse not to give my soil the necessary preparation for winter. 

As I write this post, I stop for a moment and google: "importance of cleaning out gardens in the fall"

Oh boy... now it's really hitting home!

Within 15 seconds I see pages of links on this important gardening step. Here's the first thing I click on:

It’s important to clean up all the dead foliage every fall, because garden pests and plant diseases can overwinter in garden debris and cause problems in the garden next year.

No kidding!!! 

Yesterday as my husband and I gardened, we were muttering and complaining about these "unruly problems". What was supposed to be a fun discovery of spring and preparation for growth, ended up being a weed extraction on the mammoth scale!
Not only had these unruly problems taken over real estate on my beautiful black soil, they had creeped onto the lawn. 

By the end of it all, I had a garbage can full of pests  -   a garden that had holes - lost alot of precious soil AND some nasty, pesky roots still trying to hang onto it's turf.

Lesson learned. Metaphor burned into my mind, my spirit, my memory.

As I dug and picked out weeds, I kept asking myself:

What "good or beautiful things" have I decided to keep present longer than what is best? 

What "healthy steps" or "principles" or "processes" have I avoided that are impacting me now?

What are the necessary steps I must take as I exit one season and move into another?

Great questions, and lots of great truths that I am taking away from my time in my garden.

Every choice we make today impacts us in our future. 

Wisdom and truth can become our friend and support structure for future success. 

Doing what feels right or enjoyable in the moment, can be a set up for future "unruly problems" that rob the landscape of our lives and can cost us and take "seasons of time" to bring back into a healthy balance.

What might this metaphor be speaking to you?

The Pursuit of Wisdom Brings Security  - Proverbs 2

1 My son, if you will receive my words
And treasure my commandments within you,
2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom,
Incline your heart to understanding;
3 For if you cry for discernment,
Lift your voice for understanding;
4 If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 Then you will discern the fear of the LORD
And discover the knowledge of God.
6 For the LORD gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 Guarding the paths of justice,
And He preserves the way of His godly ones.
9 Then you will discern righteousness and justice
And equity and every good course.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart
And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul

Shantie Songs

This week my family and I went to Trinity Baptist Church to see the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra and Glenmore Elementary School perform "How Canada Came to Be: A Story of You and Me"

It was wonderful. I love live music, especially the orchestra type. Those musicians amaze me with their dedication to their craft. I also received a history lesson by song and story. The kids at
Glenmore Elementary School did any amazing job. It was obvious they spent many hours learning and preparing. There was some tremendously gifted kids there.

At one point in the presentation, the kids told stories and showed pictures about how the railroad finally came to BC and how it opened up the ability to send lumber to other provinces. So, loggers would go deep into the woods and sing "shanties" to help bring light hearted joy to their day.

Shanties are the work songs that were used on the square-rigged ships of the Age of Sail. Their rhythms coordinated the efforts of many sailors hauling on lines. Much loved by modern sailors and folk musicians, they are rarely used as work songs today. This is because modern rigging doesn't require many people to be working in the same rhythm for long periods. Loggers sang shantie songs as well as they were deep in the woods of BC.

Monday night I realized, singing while working has been in our DNA since Canada started. 

When I heard this, my heart immediately said, "Yes, Shantie songs!"

There were no radios and ipods and itunes back in the 1800's. All they had was each other and their imagination. Music is a gift in so many ways. It can keep you focused,  remind you of a truth, keep you cheerful and even bring a smile.
One of my "quirks" is that I sing.... all day long. I try to keep it quiet and in my head... but often it bursts out into the atmosphere. Luckily I have very patient co workers who tolerate my continuos singing and humming. I often say: "I just can't help myself!"

Often, I will sing one line, over and over and over as if my subconscious is trying to get me to learn something. Of late, its been only a few lines:

"I've got a feelin, today's gonna be a good day.
Today's gonna be a good day, today's gonna be a good good day."

I even have it as my alarm ring, and I'll tell you what, I awake happy and humming this to myself and my family as I prepare for another day.

"whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think (sing, hum) about such things."

What "shantie song" are you singing of late? How has it helped you?

I Have To Believe

Fear is rampant right now.
We are in a battle, whether it be for our family, our spouses, our finances, peace, the truth... it doesn't matter... It's a battle for our faith.
It's a battle for who and or what we believe.

God brought me back to this song that I listened to incessantly about 4 years ago. He is reminding me of it, once again. Why? Because He wants to give me Divine Strategy.

For me - this always involves songs of declaration.
This is a strategic key that builds my faith.
This is how I fight the battle. Control won't win in a battle.
Faith brings Divine Strategy and will cause us to overcome.

Listen to it, read the lyrics below.
Let your faith arise. Fight with faith.
We have to believe.. though we cannot see.

I HAVE TO BELIEVE

I have to believe
That He sees my darkness
I have to believe
He knows my pain
I have to lift up
My hands to worship
Worship His name

I have to declare
That He is my refuge
I have to deny
That I am alone
I have to lift up
My eyes to the mountain
It's where my help comes from

Oh yeah
He said that He's forever faithful
He said that He's forever true
He said that He can move mountains
If He can move mountains
He can move my mountain
He can move your mountain, too

Oh, I have to stand tall
When the wind blows me over
I have to stand strong
When I'm weak and afraid
I have to grab hold
Ahold of the garments
The garments of praise

I know, I know, I know
Cause He said that He's forever faithful
And He said that He's forever true
He said that He can move mountains
If He can move mountains
He can move my mountain
He can move your mountain, too

I have to sing praise
When the hour is midnight
He unlocks these chains
That bind up my soul
My sin and my shame
He has forgiven and made me whole

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Cause He said that He's forever faithful
And He said that He's forever true
He said that He can move mountains
He said that He can move mountains
He said that He can move mountains
If He can move mountains
He can move my mountain
He can move your mountain, too

I have to believe
I have to believe
He's got everything under control
I have to believe
Lord, I believe
Help my unbelief
I have to believe in You
I have to believe

Now Choose Life - Part 1

I've been meditating alot on the scripture found in Deut. 30:11-16

11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.
12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, "Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?"
13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, "Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?"
14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.
15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

A few months ago I heard a new song, that I knew I had to lead in worship. I knew that this song carried the simple key to life-long success. It is a song of truth, declaration and choice.

I knew that it was for me, for my local church, and for His church across this beautiful nation. It is a song by John Waller called The Blessing. It is an award winning song with a message that God has been speaking since the beginning of time, and is desperately trying to remind us of this invaluable key.
Here are some of the words in this powerful song.

This day, You set life, You set death, right before us, this day
Every blessing and curse is a choice now
And we will choose to be a blessing for life
For Your kingdom, for our children, for the sake of every nation
We will choose to be a blessing for life

At work this week I had the privilege of meeting with Rodney Cox, from Insights International. He works with Dr. John Trent and together they have developed excellent tools to help individuals, teams and churches discover their uniqueness and at the same time, develop unity. In my meeting with him, he mentioned the words life and death. He mentioned that in the Greek, the word life means: to draw toward and the word death means : to pull away from.

I was intrigued by this new information and have been pondering these meanings and wondered:

• Does this mean that when we pull away from one another because of misunderstanding, hurt or offense, that we are actually choosing death?
  

• Does it mean that we are choosing life whenever we choose to draw closer or "come along side" someone, despite whether we completely agree or not?

I've been asking God even more questions of late, and asking Him to teach me what choosing life looks and sounds like. I am keenly aware that every time I make this choice, it impacts everything and everyone around me. It is a powerful dynamic at work, all based on my choices.

This day, I choose life. For my children, for His kingdom, for the sake of every nation.

I will choose to be a blessing for life -- to see life, to encourage life, to sow life, and to reap life.

The Power Of Preparation

God is teaching me lately to NEVER underestimate the power of preparation and servant hood.

There have been many many areas where I have volunteered over my lifetime, and there have been days, when I have wondered, "Why am I doing this?!! I'm not getting paid!! Am I wasting my time?" In these moments of "soulish" thinking, God always reminds me of the scripture in Ephesians 6:7-8

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

He always reminds me that He is the one who led me to serve in those areas, and that ultimately it was Him that I was serving, and He always keep an account of our servant hood before Him. We do however have to be careful that we are not serving to gain recognition, or affirmation from others, but if God has led you there, then He will reward you in it. He has a plan of preparation for your life that is not your thinking, but His divine plan.

The word PREPARE means:

To fit, adapt, or qualify for a particular purpose or condition; to make ready; to put into a state for use or application; as, to prepare ground for seed; to prepare a lesson.
To procure as suitable or necessary; to get ready; to provide; as, to prepare ammunition and provisions for troops; to prepare ships for defense;

God will use even the most difficult of situations to prepare us. He may not intended for those difficult situations, however He will teach us and give us strategies in these circumstances that will prepare us even more for what He has in store for us. Eph. 6 says that He will reward EVERYONE for whatever good he does.

Gods reward system doesn't look like the world's reward system. I have not been able to completely understand His reward system, however, I have been able to experience some of it.

Often His rewards look like, peace, or an increase of knowledge, an understanding of His character or a certain attribute, or learning the value of servant hood. The list is endless and custom tailored to what you need.
If God has asked you to serve in an area, then it is never a waste of time. During seasons of servant hood, He is working deep lessons into your spirit man, and having you partner with Him to sow seeds of righteousness that may not surface a bear fruit for a time. But make no mistake, they will bear fruit. God cannot go against His laws of sowing and reaping.

Of late, God has been showing me all the skills that I have learned while serving and volunteering. He has been showing me that all this time, He has been training and preparing me for His ultimate purpose for my life. He has had a "custom-made destiny" set up for me, and all the preparation, and days of serving have been in His plan. How exciting!! All this time, He has been setting me up. He is setting you up. No lesson or experience is a waste of time in His kingdom.
So today, if you are a little weary in well-doing, remember that you are serving the Lord Jesus Christ and he always keeps an accurate record. And He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. He's the best investment plan that I know.

For I know the plans I have for You, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.

God, today we choose to submit to Your plans for our lives, recognizing that wherever we are serving right now, is part of Your plan for preparation. Help us to remember that all we do is for you. Our lives are a reflection of worship before You, and You see it all.

Divine Strategy

Today as I was meditating I was reminded of the old saying,

" The best defense is a good offense."

Each day we will be faced with opportunities or situations that can cause us to become offended. This is a strategy that comes from Satan himself. How we respond to offenses will determine our future.

Offence means - transgression; wounding of the feelings.

Proverbs 18:19 says,
A brother offended {is harder to be won} than a strong city, And contentions are like the bars of a citadel.

I believe that there is a divine strategy available to all of us. You see, the best defense is a good offense. Not an offence, but an offense.
In order to keep a sports team strong they must have a good offensive strategy.

Offensive is a weapon meant for attacking, or an aggressive attitude or action or campaign.

To be Defensive in our strategy is to resist attack.

God wants to be able to give us " Good Offensive Strategy" to be able to resist all the attacks that come our way.

Satan will use anyone or any situation to hurl his hurtful tactics towards us. His strategy is to destroy us, to stop, us from moving forward into our God-given destiny. He will try to stop us dead in our tracks and get us off course. If he tried to stop Jesus, what makes us think he won't try to stop us?

Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Each of us respond differently when faced with offenses. Some of us retreat and give up hope, others shift blame and move into judgment. Some start asking themselves why me? The list of responses are endless and all of them, if given opportunity to take root, only produce bad fruit.
There is always a battle going on, and it often begins in our mind, and what we think about.

What we focus on we empower.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."

I believe God wants to give each of us a unique strategy of offence. He wants to give us a plan of attack in advance. He wants to prepare us for the battles that are ahead of us. We have all the resources we need for a good offence. We have His word and we can choose to forgive, and then think about what He has to say.

Whenever a great sports team is playing a game, there is a tremedous amount of mental focus going on in the game. It is not just physical. That's why there are cheerleaders, and there are special chants coming from the team members. The words are spoken out to remind the team of the coming victory that is available to them.

God wants to give you a divine strategy and "key words" to cheer you on.

Your divine strategy may be a certain scipture, it may also be a certain accountability partner that you go to, to bring the lie of offense into the light. God may give you a certain slogan or saying that reminds you to focus on His plan.

I challenge you to ask Him what His plan of defense is for you when offenses come your way.

He has a Divine Strategy for you that will always bring victory!